Method of updating a database for managing a vehicle fleet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9715511-B2
Application number	US-201113813803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2011
Priority date	Aug 2, 2010
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

A handling machine performs a method for updating a database for managing a fleet of vehicles, during replacement of a tire on a vehicle that includes a plurality of predetermined spatial zones. The database includes a tire identifier for each tire of the vehicle and a zone identifier for each predetermined spatial zone. Each of the tire identifiers is associated with a corresponding one of the zone identifiers in the database. A zone identifier of a spatial zone containing a tire is determined when first predetermined conditions are met, and a tire identifier of the tire is determined when second predetermined conditions are met. An association in the database between a zone identifier and a tire identifier is updated if at least the first and second predetermined conditions are met simultaneously at least once.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tyre handling machine comprising:
first and second radio-wave readers configured to cause first and second transponders, respectively, to be read, the first radio-wave reader for causing reading of the first transponder located on a vehicle and the second radio-wave reader for causing reading of the second transponder located on a tyre; and
a radio-wave communicator configured to transmit data to and receive data from a remote data center,
wherein the first radio-wave reader is able to cause the first transponder to be read if the first radio-wave reader meets at least a first predetermined reader condition associated with the first radio-wave reader,
wherein the second radio-wave reader is able to cause the second transponder to be read if the second radio-wave reader meets at least a second predetermined reader condition associated with the second radio-wave reader, and
wherein the radio-wave communicator is configured to transmit first association updating information automatically to the remote data center upon a simultaneous occurrence of a reading of the first transponder caused by the first radio-wave reader and a reading of the second transponder caused by the second radio-wave reader, and to transmit second association updating information automatically to the remote data center upon a reading of only one of the first and second transponders or a failure to read any of the first and second transponders directly following the simultaneous occurrence of the reading of the first transponder and the reading of the second transponder, the first and second association updating information both including tyre-identification information and vehicle-zone information, and the remote data center storing the first and second association updating information in a tyre-management database relating to the vehicle.

2. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first radio-wave reader meets the first predetermined reader condition if the first radio-wave reader is able to send a radio wave reading signal with a power greater than or equal to a first predetermined reading power.

3. The machine according to claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein the second radio-wave reader meets the second predetermined reader condition if the second radio-wave reader is able to send a radio wave reading signal with a power greater than or equal to a second predetermined reading power.

4. The machine according to claim 1 or claim 2 , further comprising first and second radio-wave activators configured to activate the first and second transponders, respectively,
wherein the first radio-wave activator is able to activate the first transponder if the first radio-wave activator meets at least a first predetermined activator condition associated with the first radio-wave activator, and
wherein the second radio-wave activator is able to activate the second transponder if the second radio-wave activator meets at least a second predetermined activator condition associated with the second radio-wave activator.

5. The machine according to claim 4 , wherein the first radio-wave activator meets the first predetermined activator condition if the first radio-wave activator is able to send a radio wave activation signal with a power greater than or equal to a first predetermined activation power.

6. The machine according to claim 4 , wherein the second radio-wave activator meets the second predetermined activator condition if the second radio-wave activator is able to send a radio wave activation signal with a power greater than or equal to a second predetermined activation power.

7. A vehicle comprising:
a body;
at least one tyre attached to the body;
a plurality of first transponders located in a plurality of predetermined spatial zones of the body, with each first transponder including first identifier information for identifying a predetermined spatial zone corresponding to that first transponder, and
at least one second transponder, each second transponder being located in or on a corresponding one of the at least one tyre, with each second transponder including second identifying information for identifying a tyre corresponding to that second transponder,
wherein each tyre is located in a corresponding single one of the predetermined spatial zones,
wherein each first transponder is readable if at least a first predetermined identifier condition associated with the first transponder is met,
wherein each second transponder is readable if at least a second predetermined identifier condition associated with the second transponder is met, and
wherein, when a simultaneous occurrence of the first predetermined identifier condition and the second predetermined identifier condition are met such that one of the first transponders and one of the at least one second transponder are read simultaneously, a first association updating operation is enabled in an remote reading and communication apparatus, and, when directly following the simultaneous occurrence there is a failure to read any of the first and second transponders or only one of the first and second transponders is read, a second association updating operation is enabled in the remote reading and communication apparatus, the first and second association updating operations updating both tyre-identification information and vehicle-zone information in a tyre-management database relating to the vehicle.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein
the first identifier is of a radio wave type, and
the first transponder meets the first predetermined identifier condition if the first transponder is able to receive a radio wave reading signal with a power greater than or equal to a first predetermined identification power.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7 or claim 8 , wherein
the second identifier is of a radio wave type, and
the second transponder meets the second predetermined identifier condition if the second transponder is able to receive a radio wave reading signal with a power greater than or equal to a second predetermined identification power.

10. A method of updating a database for managing a fleet of at least one vehicle when a tyre on a vehicle is replaced with a replacement tyre by use of a handling machine,
in which the vehicle includes a body; at least one tyre attached to the body; a plurality of first transponders located in a plurality of predetermined spatial zones of the body, with each first transponder including first identifier information for identifying a predetermined spatial zone corresponding to that first transponder; and at least one second transponder located in or on the at least one tyre, with each second radio-wave transponder including second identifying information for identifying a tyre corresponding to that second transponder, wherein each tyre is located in a corresponding single one of the predetermined spatial zones,
in which the handling machine includes first and second radio-wave readers configured to cause the first and second transponders, respectively, to be read; and a radio-wave communicator configured to transmit data to and receive data from a remote data center, the first and second radio-wave readers being arranged such that the first radio-wave reader is able to cause reading of any one of the first transponders if the first radio-wave reader meets at least a first predetermined reader condition associated with the first radio-wave reader, and the second radio-wave reader is able to cause reading of any one of the at least one second transponder if the second reader meets at least a second predetermined reader condition associated with the second radio-wave reader,
wherein each first transponder is readable if

Assignees

• Champredonde Jonathan
• Contreras Marcos
• Michelin & Cie
• Michelin Rech Tech

Inventors

• Champredonde Jonathan
• Contreras Marcos

Classifications

• G08C17/02

  using a radio link · CPC title

• B60C23/0415

  Automatically identifying wheel mounted units, e.g. after replacement or exchange of wheels · CPC title

• B60C23/008

  having wheels on more than two axles · CPC title

• B60C23/0493

  for attachment on the tyre · CPC title

• G06Q10/06 Primary

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title